Strength 2 Strength

Strength 2 Strength

The Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) called ‘Strength 2 Strength’ will be delivered at GREATS Youth Services (GYS). We hope that running this second program will enable a larger cohort of young people – particularly those less likely to attend school - an opportunity to develop a similar level of social and emotional learning as their more academically engaged peers. Research shows that young members of Indigenous communities who attend school less often are at higher risk of depressive illnesses and suicidal behaviours.

There were initially ten workshops planned which were designed to encourage discussions and activities centred on developing and practising strengths and skills that are relevant to youth in their roles, relationships, and community.

There is also scope for an ongoing group project during these sessions. Examples include the creation of a video, mural, performance, or community project – all of which encourage working together, problem-solving, and goal-oriented behaviour.

The peer- to- peer learning environment, and the opportunities to practice life skills, seek to ensure that young people will develop the personal resilience and cognitive awareness to ask for help and to access support networks when needed. Due to logistical issues, the Centre for Child Development and Education scaled back delivery in 2014 to just five sessions which were geared towards engagement, with the soft introduction of themes, to determine how to best proceed with delivery in 2015. These themes were:

1) Introductions

2) Things we like in Maningrida

3) What makes Us Mob Strong?

4) Feelings

5) Helping Hands

The Strength 2 Strength project is being evaluated, with planning underway to deliver slightly more formal workshops in early 2015 to young people in Maningrida who are significantly less engaged at school.